Michael Ledger praised his team-mates after they secured a pleasing clean sheet in a goalless stalemate against Derby County.
The clean sheet is Sunderland under-23s first of the new calendar year and halts a sticky patch which had seen them concede three goals in their previous two fixtures.
While Andy Welsh’s side created a number of openings through the tenacious Andrew Nelson and the inventive Rees Greenwood, the young Black Cats were unable to pick a hole big enough to unlock Derby’s defence.
Thick fog made conditions particularly challenging throughout, and in the end both sides cancelled each other out as the Premier League 2 fixture finished level.
Speaking to safc.com, Ledger highlighted the value of the clean sheet as the development side now turn their attentions to Sunday’s Premier League Cup match at home to Cardiff City.
“When we come away from home the main objective is always to come away with something,” he said.
“We don’t want to get beat and I think on another night we could’ve nicked goal and taken all three points but the lads at the back did well, we stuck together and got a clean sheet.
“We said before the game that keeping a clean sheet against Derby was important and we did just that because I thought we handled their players well.”
He continued: “We didn’t give them many chances and when they did get forward we defended well, stood our game and kept ourselves in it.”
